Past Press Mentions

2024

2023

Past Press Releases

2024

  • Date: January 23, 2024

    From January 20-24, 2025, PolyGone’s co-founder, Nathaniel Banks, attended the Catalysts of Impact Gala in Davos, Switzerland. During the event, Nathaniel and Oceanwell received recognition at the Earth05 Co-Creation Prize Ceremony. The gala took place during the World economic Forum week, with guests including world leaders, investors, and changemakers in the water and energy sectors.

  • Date: December 18, 2024

    On December 16, 2024, PolyGone’s co-founder Nathaniel Banks virtually attended the final phase of the Earth 05 Co-Creation Prize competition. The Earth 05 Co-Creation Prize is a global award that recognizes science and entrepreneurship aimed at addressing urgent global challenges in water, food, and energy. The prize annually awards breakthrough innovations aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

    Nathaniel virtually attended the event and presented PolyGone’s mission and latest pilot projects. In addition, Nathaniel worked closely with other participants during the event activities and formed key connections.

  • Date: November 9, 2024

    On November 4, 2024, PolyGone’s co-founder Yidian Liu attended the US-China Cleantech Cooperation Forum in Beijing, China. The event was hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the US Department of Commerce; and organized by the Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation and the US-China Cleantech Center. Event attendees included US and Chinese government officials who focus on energy, industry, and climate. During the US-China Cleantech showcase, Yidian presented PolyGone’s current projects and connected with foreign companies for future collaborations.

    On November 5, 2024, Yidian Liu attended the Shandong-US Cleantech conference in Shandong, China. The event was an economic and trade matchmaking conference hosted by the Shandong Province’s Department of Commerce and organized by the Shandong International Investment Promotion Agency. During the showcase, Yidian presented PolyGone’s projects and connected with the other attendees. 

    On November 6, 2024, Yidian Liu attended the Suzhou-US Cleantech and Carbon Neutrality Cooperation Conference in Suzhou, China. At the conference, there were remarks from representatives of the Chinese government, Chinese companies, and US companies. Yidian presented on PolyGone’s mission and current projects, she also participated in the US-China Matchmaking Session where she interacted with other cleantech companies.

    On November 7, 2024, Yidian Liu attended the Shanghai-US Cleantech and Carbon Neutrality Cooperation Summit in Shanghai, China. The summit, part of the China International Import Expo, was the largest expo in China, bringing together exhibitors, global companies, new technologies, and industry leaders. During the event, Yidian gave an insightful presentation on PolyGone’s projects and engaged with attendees to discuss climate solutions. This particular expo helped create many valuable connections and new interactions in the cleantech space.

    On November 8, 2024, Yidian Liu attended the 2024 China Guangdong - US Cleantech Technology Industry Matchmaking Conference, in Guangzhou, China! During the event, remarks were given by Chinese officials and the president of the US-China Cleantech Center. The conference was the 5th that Yidian attended this past week, and she gave an engaging presentation on PolyGone’s current work and scope. She also met with many cleantech founders during the matchmaking between Chinese and foreign companies.

  • Date: October 22, 2024

    On October 22, 2024, PolyGone’s co-founder Yidian Liu was honored to present at the NJAEA conference! The NJAEA conference brought together many environmental professionals in the water space. Yidian provided an insightful presentation on PolyGone’s mission and latest pilot projects. PolyGone networked with attendees during the event for future project collaborations.

  • Date: October 14, 2024

    On October 5 - 9, 2024, PolyGone’s co-founders Yidian Liu and Nathaniel Banks attended WEFTEC 2024, the largest North American water conference that brings together professionals, founders, and researchers worldwide! 

    During the event, PolyGone met with industrial partners and important figures in the water space. Additionally, PolyGone was glad to see that microplastics were a focus at the event and was honored to participate in the microplastics subcommittee meeting. PolyGone made many valuable connections during the conference for future collaborations. 

  • Date: September 30, 2024

    On September 12, 2024, PolyGone successfully held the Microplastic Removal Pilot Grand Opening at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA). PolyGone was honored to host guests from the government, state, academia, and community organizations. Guests had the opportunity to see the complete pilot system and educational pavilion.

    During the event, PolyGone's co-founder Nathaniel Banks led a thorough pilot demonstration, explaining the Artificial Root Filter and dual array system. Guests witnessed the ascending and descending of the filter trays into the equalization basin and the system's cleaning tank.

    The system contains 2 trays, while one tray is lowered into the basin the other can be cleaned and maintained. The filters will last about 6 months and will be cleaned weekly. The cleaning tank utilizes an actuator to clean the filters and collect the microplastics. PolyGone will also regularly conduct lab tests to analyze the amount of microplastics collected from ACUA. PolyGone plans to send the microplastics to an external partner for upcycling and the used filters will be sent to a proper recycling facility. Currently, PolyGone plans to have the pilot running at ACUA for a 12-month duration.

    PolyGone also showcased the completed Microplastics Educational Pavilion which includes various informative exhibits. The exhibits include the types of microplastics, the impact of microplastics on the environment, and many visual examples of microplastics all around us. Each pavilion tube includes an explanation of the exhibit to help educate the public on the harms of microplastics. PolyGone plans to work with ACUA to have tours and events to continue raising awareness on microplastic pollutants.

    During the event, guests heard insightful keynote addresses from ACUA President Matthew DeNafo, NOAA National Sea Grant Director Dr. Jonathon Pennock, and NJCSIT Executive Director Judith Sheft; and PolyGone co-founder Yidian Liu moderated the event. Speakers spoke on the importance of microplastic filtration technology and their relationship with PolyGone.

    PolyGone thanks ACUA, NOAA, NJCSIT, New York Sea Grant, and Curbon for supporting and making the pilot possible.

  • Date: September 23, 2024

    PolyGone is honored to have been selected as a top innovator in the UpLink - World Economic Forum Regenerative Blue Economy Challenge!! The award recognizes companies with cutting-edge technology and solutions to address the complex challenges faced by the oceans and coastal communities.

  • Date: August 19, 2024

    PolyGone is honored to have received a Congressional Proclamation from Congressman Jeff Van Drew!! The rare award recognizes PolyGone’s commitment to removing microplastics from water bodies through the Microplastic Removal Pilot at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority.

  • Date: August 14, 2024

    This week, PolyGone completed the construction of the Microplastic Removal Pilot at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA)! PolyGone thanks the ACUA staff and M. Davis & Sons, Inc. construction team for their endless support during the project construction. PolyGone is proud of this milestone and is excited to demonstrate its technology at the grand opening in September!

    This project is funded by Sea Grant NOAA (under PI New York Sea Grant) and NJCSIT.

  • Date: June 25, 2024

    On June 18 - June 22 ,2024, PolyGone Systems' Co-founders Yidian Liu and Nathaniel Banks attended the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 2024. The global event brought together leaders, experts, and practitioners from across industries to share insights and knowledge on flooding and costal issues that are driven by climate change.

    During the event Nathaniel gave an insightful presentation on PolyGone’s projects at the Innovation Stage and PolyGone had a well-located stand that attracted many attendees. PolyGone met leaders in the Water Innovation Space from all over the world and made meaningful connections during the event.

  • Date: June 12, 2024

    On June 7, 2024, Polygone Systems deployed the Plastic Hunter at Willistown Conservation Trust Pilot site located at Ridley Creek at Ashbridge Preserve in Pennsylvania.

    This is the second deployment that Polygone Systems has had with WCT, the first deployment took place in 2020, at that time the filtration fibers were made of coconut fibers whereas the latest deployment features Polygone Systems' new refined Plastic Hunter. Polygone Systems' thanks Lauren McGrath and the rest of the WTC staff for helping install the Plastic Hunter and their support!

  • Item description

  • Date: June 12, 2024

    On June 6th- June 7th, 2024, PolyGone’s Co-Founder’s Yidian Liu and Nathaniel Banks presented at the Microplastics Summit in Buffalo, New York. The Microplastics Summit brought together companies, inventors, and educators to have meaningful discussions on Microplastic research and policies in the state of New York.

    Yidian and Nathaniel gave an engaging presentation on PolyGone’s current projects and work during the Summit. PolyGone also formed many new connections and collaborations.

  • Date: June 3, 2024

    On May 17th - May 18th, 2024, PolyGone’s Co-Founder Nathaniel Banks presented at the Oceantech Summit NYC at 189 Front St, New York City. The Oceantech Summit brought together inventors, entrepreneurs, and investors from the tri-state area for a pitch competition and a valuable networking event.

    Nathaniel gave a compelling speech on PolyGone’s work and mission during the pitch competition. Assisted by PolyGone’s designer, Yuntian Zhang, the team also formed many valuable connections during the summit.

  • Date: April 17, 2024

    On April 8th, PolyGone's co-founder, Yidian Liu, was honored to participate in the conference "Microplastics in the Coastal Region", hosted by NOAA's National Center for Coastal Ocean Science and the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium at the Marine Resources Research Institute in Charleston, South Carolina. Yidian had the opportunity to engage in knowledge exchange and discourse with industry professionals and researchers about microplastic analysis and remediation. During the event, Yidian presented PolyGone Systems's pilot project at the Atlantic County Utility Authority for microplastic remediation.

  • Date: March 22, 2024

    The 22nd of March each year is designated as the World Water Day by the United Nations. As we celebrate the special occasion aiming to highlight the importance of fresh water, converging with PolyGone’s mission to rid the microplastics from our water resources.

    From March 12th to 14th, Oceanology International 2024 took place in London, UK, attracting over 8,000 attendees and approximately 500 exhibitors. PolyGone Systems participated as an exhibitor in the trade show.

  • Date: March 12, 2024

    On March 12th, 2024, PolyGone's co-founder and COO, Yidian Liu, along with assistant designer Yuntian Zhang, participated in the Formulas for Success: AEA Spring Utility Management Conference 2024. At the conference, Yidian Liu delivered a compelling presentation introducing PolyGone's innovative solution for microplastics and highlighting the company's notable accomplishments.

    Additionally, PolyGone seized the chance to reconnect with acquaintances from ACUA and NJAEA while also forging new connections with esteemed professionals representing drinking water facilities, wastewater facilities, government agencies, and research institutes.

  • Date: January 26, 2024

    PolyGone Systems is excited to announce that we are working with West County Wastewater District (WCWD) in Richmond, California to initiate a new pilot deployment in the effluent channel at their wastewater treatment facility. WCWD carries the mission to provide the best quality wastewater treatment for protecting the natural water ecosystem in the Bay Area.

    As microplastics are gaining attention across the industry, this pilot project is a collaborative effort of PolyGone Systems and WCWD to explore innovative technology that provides an easy, effective, and manageable solution for microplastic sequestration and is marked as PolyGone’s first pilot project in California. PolyGone and WCWD together are bringing a new configurable and modular system to realization that carries PolyGone’s unique microplastic filters — the Artificial Root Filters. The on-site deployment is anticipated to kick off in April 2024.

2025

  • On May 27, 2025, PolyGone co-founder Nathaniel Banks engaged in Earth05.org's 50-minute fireside chat titled "The Future of Water & Oceans – Meet the Revolutionary Co-Creation Prize Winners!" alongside Jamie Spotswood from OceanWell. As a recipient of the Earth05 Net Zero & Net Gen Co-Creation Prize, PolyGone shared insights on its current technology and future collaboration initiatives with Oceanwell.

  • On May 23, 2025, PolyGone’s co-founders, Yidian Liu and Nathaniel Banks, spoke at the Princeton University Innovation Conference at Reunions 2025!
    Yidian and Nathaniel shared how the Office of Innovation supported them in starting PolyGone and their journey as founders. They discussed PolyGone’s mission and how their work intersects directly with technological innovation and entrepreneurship. The event brought together leaders in the environment, AI, and deep tech, and included an engaging networking session for attendees.

  • PolyGone’s co-founders, Yidian Liu and Nathaniel Banks, are excited to be in California next week to attend the San Francisco Climate Week from April 21 -24! During the week, PolyGone will be attending several events, including the Ocean Tech Summit and the Investing in Water: Startup Showcase. As part of the Imagine H2O 2025 program, PolyGone will be showcased at the startup showcase and will give a presentation.

    On April 23, 2025, PolyGone co-founders Yidian Liu and Nathaniel Banks joined the Maritime Decarbonization and Ocean Resilience Summit, a SF Climate Week side event at Sofar Oceans Technologies HQ, hosted by TMA BlueTech™. The summit brought together policymakers, investors, companies, and researchers exploring various ocean resilience technologies. The event included a networking reception where PolyGone connected with several professionals and attendees based in CA and across the US.

    On April 24, 2025, PolyGone co-founders Yidian Liu and Nathaniel Banks participated in the Investing in Water: Startup Showcase during SF Climate Week at the SVB Experience Center in California!
    As part of the Imagine H2O 2025 program, Nathaniel presented on PolyGone’s mission, technology, and current fundraising plans. The event brought together investors and industry professionals to learn about the latest water innovations and technologies.

  • On April 3, 2025, PolyGone co-founder Yidian Liu spoke at the Building Energy Exchange’s first Women in Sustainability and Energy career showcase! The showcase brought together students and professionals to discuss different perspectives on energy. Yidian spoke about her industry experience and provided insights on her career. 

  • On March 20, 2025, PolyGone co-founder Nathaniel Banks spoke at the Princeton University Student VenturesStartup Showcase in New York. Princeton Student Ventures empowers the university's entrepreneurship community by offering grant awards, venture capital experience, and industry connections. PSV is also important to PolyGone, as we were the first startup to receive funding from PSV. Nathaniel thoroughly enjoyed speaking at the showcase and hearing from the young entrepreneurs!

  • On March 21, 2025, PolyGone's co-founder Yidian Liu participated in the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA)'s roundtable discussion. The discussion occurred during Women's History Month, bringing together women-owned business leaders across NJ, and focused on the entrepreneur's experiences. Watch the full discussion: https://www.youtube.com/live/LdypodOODbQ?si=0YVJdEBg-EoWYeG7

  • Date: February 11, 2025

    As a winner of the Uplink Regenerative Blue Economy Challenge, PolyGone’s co-founder Nathaniel Banks was invited to the Winning Cohorts Ecosystem Tour Program in Saudi Arabia!! So far in the event, Nathaniel has participated in pitch and investor competitions where he spoke about PolyGone’s filtration technology and current projects. In addition, Nathaniel has attended the LEAP 2025 tech conference and heard a presentation from Red Sea Global Environmental, Innovation, and Corporate Affairs. 

  • Date: January 22, 2025

    On January 16, 2025, PolyGone’s co-founder, Yidian Liu , moderated Unshackled Princeton’s event on “How to Start and Build Businesses as an Immigrant.” The event targeted aspiring entrepreneurs and immigrants looking to gain insight into business formation. Yidian led the Q&A session, helping young founders and students learn about business strategies, pathways, and resources.

  • Date: January 23,2025

    From January 20-24, 2025, PolyGone’s co-founder, Nathaniel Banks, attended the Catalysts of Impact Gala in Davos, Switzerland. During the event, Nathaniel and Oceanwell received recognition at the Earth05 Co-Creation Prize Ceremony. The gala took place during the World Economic Forum week, with guests including world leaders, investors, and changemakers in the water and energy sectors.

2023

  • Date: December 10, 2023

    In November 2023, PolyGone’s co-founders Yidian Liu and Nathaniel Banks were invited by the US-China Clean Tech Center (UCCTC) International Trade Administration to attend a series of cleantech industry conferences in China, with the support from US Department of Commerce.

    This was the first Cleantech Trade Mission to China since the outbreak of COVID-19. With no further statement of importance needed, PolyGone Systems alongside with many other cleantech companies from US and China went on a 6-day, 6-city trade mission in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, and Changzhou. The trip introduced PolyGone Systems to China’s extensive cleantech ecosystem and encouraged us to network with potential partners and clients in the region. PolyGone also took advantage of this great opportunity to connect with the rest of the US delegation, all of whom were seasoned entrepreneurs in the cleantech sector with diverse and innovative products and services.

    Throughout this trade mission, PolyGone Systems discovered an incredible amount of interest in China’s cleantech ecosystem for addressing the global problem of microplastic pollution. With the exciting connections we established and the insightful discourses along the way, PolyGone Systems is thrilled and ready to broaden our partnerships with industry leaders from US and China to forge new pilot collaborations and contribute to the global effort of protecting our water ecosystem.

  • Date: November 29, 2023

    At the World Water Tech North American Conference on October 24th and 25th, PolyGone Systems’s Co-founder and CTO, Nathaniel Banks, presented in the “Problem Pitching: Better Water Quality Tools for Stubborn and Emerging Contaminants” session.

  • Date: October 6, 2023

    This year’s China WEFTEC Delegation meeting was held on Thursday October 5th in Philadelphia, PA, where the visiting group from China met the 7 US wastewater treatment companies to discuss future cooperation between two countries.

    The delegation is led by the U.S. Commercial Service office in Beijing, China, which consists of 14 environmental companies accompanied by representatives of an environmental industry association, all of whom attended WEFTEC 2023. 

    Throughout the meeting, the PolyGone team members were able to network and learn from the insights of other companies, while Co-Founder, Nathaniel Banks presented the Plastic Hunter and discussed the technology’s performance.

  • Date: September 20, 2023

    On September 14th 2023, PolyGone’s co-founder Yidian Liu was invited by Princeton University’s Center for Career Development as one of the four panelists to speak at Industrial Insights: Careers In Start-Ups about her experiences in pursuing entrepreneurial path and her insights on start-ups and traditional industries.

    This panel event is co-sponsored by the Prospect Student Ventures Club, Princeton Entrepreneurship Club, and Center for Career Development. Industry Insights is a series of programs led by Princeton alumni and/or employers, which help participants build skills, discover industries and learn about company cultures and recruitment timelines.

    In this panel event, Yidian Liu talked about the difference between start-ups and traditional industries and illustrated PolyGone’s company culture and recruitment process in detail to the audience. With other three Princeton alumni entrepreneurs, Yidian discussed how she entered the entrepreneurial path and her invaluable experiences on challenges and opportunities along this path.

  • Date: June 10, 2024

    PolyGone, in collaboration with the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA), is pleased to announce a forthcoming pilot deployment in Atlantic City, located at ACUA's wastewater treatment facility.. This strategic partnership involves the utilization of PolyGone's cutting-edge microplastic filtration system, known as the Artificial Root, to complement ACUA's existing water treatment operations. By deploying PolyGone's microplastic filters along a specially designed attachment that operates both vertically and horizontally, the partnership aims to effectively capture aquatic pollutants and microplastic debris within the incoming wastewater flowing through ACUA's main pipeline.

    PolyGone is actively engaged in the pilot design phase in close collaboration with ACUA's experienced staff and concurrently undertaking the construction of the requisite infrastructure to support this long-term collaboration. Multiple test trials are being conducted to fine-tune the latest iteration of PolyGone's biomimetic device, which exhibits enhanced filtration capabilities. Notable improvements include the device's ability to capture a greater number of particles through surface tension and minimized surface area coverage, increased durability when submerged in water, and reduced biofilm (bacterial) formation.

    Beyond the pilot deployment, this partnership goes beyond wastewater treatment by aiming to educate and inform the general public. To achieve this objective, an educational pavilion will be established at the ACUA site, providing visitors with the opportunity to witness the pilot in real-time and gain insights into the filter's operational processes. The educational pavilion will showcase meticulously crafted infographics created by PolyGone and ACUA's team. Furthermore, visitors will have the privilege of hearing firsthand from PolyGone's accomplished Co-Founders, Yidian Liu and Nathaniel Banks, as they provide comprehensive explanations of the project's inception and ultimate realization during on-site tours.

    ACUA has been recognized for its innovation and environmental leadership and hosts an impressive number of facility tours annually, attracting a diverse range of groups from elementary, middle, and high school students to college students, professional, community, and civic organizations. This presents an abundance of educational opportunities to disseminate knowledge on microplastics and highlight the scientific methodologies employed by PolyGone in their groundbreaking research endeavors.

  • Date: June 2, 2023

    PolyGone Systems is pleased to announce our acceptance of a $250,000 grant award from the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology (NJCSIT) Pilot Clean Tech Demonstration Grant Program. This grant opportunity supports New Jersey-based companies in advancing the commercialization and deployment of innovative clean energy technologies. 

    PolyGone will use this funding to optimize, manufacture, and deploy a full-scale pilot test of our artificial root filtration device, conducted in partnership with Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA), one of the biggest wastewater treatment utilities in New Jersey. This project will help refine our technology, while also raising awareness on the issue of microplastics, through the installation of an interactive educational pavilion on site. 

    PolyGone is beyond excited to begin this collaboration with the ACUA. Our team has already designed a customized installation to fit the effluent channel of the ACUA site, as well as an initial design for the education pavilion. We look forward to sharing more updates about this exciting project in the coming months in our newsletter and social media channels. If successful, this project will validate the world’s first affordable and portable microplastic filtration device that has the potential to significantly improve the water quality of the 10,000+ rivers and wastewater effluents that currently leach microplastics into the world’s oceans.

  • Date: May 7, 2023

    The annual Empower Pitch Competition, hosted by the Princeton Entrepreneurship Council, was held in New York City this year from April 26th to April 28th. Our Co-Founder, Yidian Liu, was invited to speak as a panelist to share her role in the green technology space.

    The Empower Pitch Competition celebrates women and researchers commercializing technology in various STEM disciplines. Applicants compete for over $135,000 of cash and in-kind prizes. Researchers and founders alike were invited to apply and the event was opened for the public to attend.

    Aside from the competition, attendees received the opportunity to network with fellow founders and engage with experts across the three common stages of university-based startups: launching, funding and scaling their technology.

    PolyGone received $10,000 as a second runner-up of the competition.

    To read further on the Empower Pitch Competition or Watch the 2021 publicity video: Princeton Entrepreneurship Empower

  • Date: May 4, 2023

    PolyGone Systems is pleased to announce our acceptance of a $1.9 million grant award from the National Sea Grant Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Marine Debris Challenge Competition. We share this award with the New York Sea Grant (NYSG), (PI), a cooperative program between the State University of New York, Cornell University, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, funding cutting-edge research for coastal stakeholders with extension and outreach programming to those who work, live, and play in the coastal area of New York State.

    PolyGone will use this funding to optimize, manufacture, and deploy full-scale pilots of our artificial root filtration device, in both wastewater effluent streams and polluted tributaries across the Hudson River Watershed. Teaming with NYSG, we will ensure that those who live, work, and recreate in the watershed are educated about this project and engaged in the co-production of knowledge around our innovative technology.

    PolyGone is beyond excited to begin this collaboration with NYSG. Our upcoming pilot tests with the Atlantic County Utility Authority, University of Toronto and Dalhousie University, and GPA Seabots will further refine our technology in the field, so that we can carry out successful pollution remediation and citizen science education in the Hudson River Watershed, a drinking water source supporting over 100,000 people and home to rich plant and wildlife biodiversity. 

  • Date: April 25, 2024

    This year’s Ocean Business 2023 was held at Southampton in the UK, where attendees and exhibitors showcased their leading products and innovations in the oceanography sector.

    What is Ocean Business?

    Ocean Business 2023 is a global technology and science exhibition for marine industries, held annually and attracting business and maritime professionals from all over the world. The event is a renowned global meeting place for ocean science and technology professionals.
    PolyGone was one of the exhibitors, where the team featured the latest version of our artificial root filtration device to audiences from over 65 countries.

  • Date: March 16, 2023

    Our Co-Founder Yidian Liu was recently invited as a panelist to speak at the New Jersey Institute of Technology STEM conference. The conference was focused on startup founders and had 200+ Governor STEM Scholars who attended the event.

    The panelists consisted of a range of individuals, including fellow CEOs and startup founders focused in STEM industries.

    As an international entrepreneur in the greentech field, Yidian’s contributions to the conversation gave insights for many students pursuing similar paths in the climate and biotechnology sector.

2022

  • Date: June 8, 2022

    After months of planning and construction, our exhibition is finally up at the Shenzhen Biennale!

    PolyGone was accepted to showcase a representation of our work, ‘Tides of Plastic,” at the Shenzhen Biennale. The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture is an international showcase of designers reimagining the future of urban issues. View our proposal publication here.

    This installation aims to raise awareness of the widespread microplastic pollution by addressing the minute scale and the “invisible“ quality of microplastic. Our installation utilizes architecture as a didactic tool to bridge this scalar disparity, simultaneously illustrating the extreme quantities of plastics entering our waters and showcasing novel methodologies of aquatic plastic filtration and recycling.

    The installation design is an architectural derivation of the patented microplastic filtration systems developed by researchers from Princeton and Tsinghua University for PolyGone. It comprises a hanging chandelier of contaminated filter media, a series of concentric curtains, and a set of exhibition plinths.

    In our experiments to create a microplastic filter, PolyGone experimented with coconut fiber balls to ensnare fluorescent plastic sediments from water. As a byproduct of these experiments, used coconut fiber filters fluoresce with collected plastics under UV light. The hanging chandelier of the installation consists of these spent filters, creating a shimmering topography of microplastic contamination that is invisible to the naked eye unless exposed to UV light.

    The enclosing curtain blocks natural light from entering the UV-lit interior of the installation and features graphics to explain the problem of aquatic plastic pollution, the innovative technologies being developed to address the problem, and the speculative applications of these technologies as a part of future civic infrastructure. The curtain allows access to the pavilion from all directions, encouraging visitors to directly interact and be subsumed by the installation.

  • Date: December 1, 2022

    PolyGone’s Co-Founder, Nathaniel Banks, attended the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. It’s the leading international event dedicated to urban innovation, empowering cities to collectivize innovation efforts across the globe.

    The conference consisted of a three-day speaker program where international experts shared insights about sustainable urban development, and an expo where global companies and organizations showcased their projects.

    With over 134 countries attending the conference, Nathaniel served as a representative of the United States. He talked to inventors and decision-makers about what urban issues matter to them, while bringing awareness to the global microplastic problem. Among the high-profile figures that attended was the prime minister of Estonia and the U.S. Department of Commerce Specialist. 

    Conversations with Estonian prime minister, Kaja Kalla, have opened up opportunities for PolyGone in the capital city of Tallinn, to collaborate by using PolyGone’s biomimetic filtration technology, and make microplastic mitigation a top priority.

  • Date: December 1, 2022

    PolyGone won a National Impact Award from the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-CORPS) Hub program. I-CORPS is a program providing entrepreneurial training and resources to scientists and engineers. Acceptance to the program involved a series of interviews (we conducted the highest number of the groups), and a final video pitch.

    PolyGone’s general involvement in the I-CORPS program was recently featured in Princeton Innovation’s annual publication. PolyGone was the first group to be highlighted in the publication.

    Princeton Innovation is Princeton University’s entrepreneurship initiative, aiming to positively impact humanity through encouraging innovation.

  • Date: November 16, 2022

    Our newly revised Plastic Hunter prototype was recently deployed for our next round of prototype testing. PolyGone is proud to once again partner with the Willistown Conservation Trust for this deployment.

    We will be monitoring the effects that the prototype poses on the river after release, in order to test the efficacy of the revisions made to the device in real-time. We anticipate that our updated version will display a greater ability to store the filtered microplastics upon capturing them from the water system.

  • Date: September 28, 2022

    PolyGone Co-Founder Nathaniel Banks attended the 7th series of the United Nation’s international conference on marine pollution, hosted in Busan, Korea on the 18th to the 23rd of September.

    The International Marine Debris Conference (IMDC) is the world’s longest-running international event dedicated to the issue of marine litter and plastic pollution.

    Nathaniel had the opportunity to meet global leaders in marine pollution innovation and policy, while sharing about PolyGone’s own contributions to the field.

    Learn more about the event here

  • Date: September 22, 2022

    PolyGone was chosen as one of ten finalists, from a pool of over 550 startups, in the Leading Cities/QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge.

    The program brings together premier tech startups working on improving urban resilience to compete for a $100,000 prize. It has become one of the largest programs of its kind, promoting innovative tech solutions to the environmental, social, and economic challenges faced by global cities and urbanization. Leading Cities is a non-profit focused on adapting cities and urban development around addressing climate change, equity, and technology issues.

    To learn more about the program and finalists, read here

  • Date: August 18, 2022

    PolyGone won first place and a spot as a finalist for the 2022 Shenzhen Biennale, one of the world's largest art/architecture expos!

    Our ‘Tides of Plastic’ proposal displays a topography of microplastic, inspired by the aesthetics of our experimental research with coconut fiber balls as bio-filters. The pavilion includes a hanging chandelier installation, a series of curtains, and exhibition plinths. The submitted slides below illustrate our overall vision, as well as construction logistics and viewer experience. The team is now getting ready to make the design proposal a reality for the upcoming exhibition.

2021

  • Date: September 23, 2021

    The Delaware Riverkeeper Network is an environmental nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring Delaware watersheds. They host the annual Watershed Congress, a week-long event where companies, academics, nonprofits, government entities, and NGO’s present and collaborate on water protection and restoration issues. The group is concerned with state- and federal-level policies that impact the Delaware River Watershed, and bring together teams across disciplines to address water health in the state.

    PolyGone reated a presentation for the “Wednesday Bright Spot” session, where we discussed the scope of microplastic pollution, presented our solution, and shared our long-term vision for large-scale plastic management. It was aa tremendous opportunity to share ideas with, and learn from, others toward the same goal of protecting our natural waterways.

    Learn more

  • Date: August 20, 2021

    PolyGone co-founders Nathaniel Banks and Yidian Liu built a scale model of the redesigned fiberglass frame for the Plastic Hunter, a nature-based device for capturing microplastics from waterways.

    The construction process involved using design software to model the frame, physically milling out the mold, and sanding down fiberglass on their apartment balcony. By doing this, they were able to produce a beautiful prototype and dramatically reduce the manufacturing cost. Now, onto testing!

  • Date: June 10, 2021

    PolyGone co-founders Nathaniel Banks and Yidian Liu received $10,000 as first-place winners of the Techstars Startup Boot Camp, marking our first batch of funding.

    The Techstars Boot Camp is a two-day intensive training program, teaching startups how to identify and profile target customers and build an executable business plan.

    Here, they also met and recruited Tanner Eggert — Princeton chemistry Ph.D. candidate and business enthusiast — to help PolyGone strategize on future growth, business operations, and tech development.

    The funding will bee used to conduct experiments and manufacture Plastic Hunter prototypes. Thank you Techstars!

    Learn more

  • Date: May 24, 2021

    PolyGone founders Nathaniel Banks and Yidian Liu recently won People’s Choice Award at the Princeton Entrepreneurs’ Network Startup Pitch Competition. The Princeton Entrepreneurs’ Network is a coalition of Princeton alumni entrepreneurs with chapters in Silicon Valley, New York City, and Boston. They frequently host conferences and pitch competitions. Out of 14 startups — ranging from drug development to space technology to humanities ventures — Polygone was voted as the audience favorite.

    Learn more

  • Date: May 13, 2021

    Co-founders Nathaniel Banks and Yidian Liu recently won the Outstanding Presenter Award out of 63 presenters at Princeton Research Day, an annual event for academic researchers to present their work to the Princeton community.

    They showcased their year-long thesis research: a design project focused on microplastics infrastructure and the plastic pollution problem. This thesis project was the foundation of PolyGone. Their achievement shows that robust academic research and a strong mission forms the backbone of the work we’re doing at PolyGone.

    Watch the presentation

    Read more